Mail-box and conveyer device.



I. V. STEVENSON.

MAIL BOX AND CONVEYER DEVICE;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1916.

1 ,201 1 10. Patented 0d. 10, 1916.

IRL V. STEVENSON, OF NEOSHO, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BOX AND CONVEYER DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial N 0. 98,892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRL V. STEVENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at N eosho, in the county of Newton and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes and Conveyer Devices; and I do hereby declare I the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in conveyer apparatus used in connection with delivery of mail boxes upon rural delivery routes, etc., and consists of a simple device of this nature so arranged that the mail box, after delivery of mail, may be drawn upon a cable to a location at a distance from a delivery station.

The invention consists of a means whereby the box may be released when the mail is deposited in the box, so that the latter may be drawn upon the cable by pulling upon a cord.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the application. of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the box. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mail box. Fig. 4 is a detail of-a releasing member.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letters, A designates a mail box which is suspended from a carrier B having grooved wheels C running upon the cable D. Said cable is anchored at its ends, one being shown as fastened to the post F and the other end at the location to which the mail box is to be transferred. A pulling cord, designated by letter H, passes about grooved pulleys I, (only one being shown in the drawings), mounted on the post F, and its ends are secured to the ends of the carrier, thus making an endless means for drawing the carrier back and forth.

The mail box is provided with a door K which is hinged at K to the lower portion of the box and its upper end is formed into a hook L. Mounted upon the inside of the box is a pulley O, and Q is a chain passing about said pulley O and fastened at one end to the door intermediate its hinged end and the hook L thereon and its other end is fastenedto the retaining pin P which has a longltudlnal movement upon the side of the box .and held thereon by means of the straps P. A latch, designated by letter R, is mounted upon the pin R on the brace F which is secured to the post F and has a weight R adapted to hold the hook part of the latch in the path of a bar or rod T, pivotally mounted at T on the bottom of the box. Said rod T 1s provided with an aperture which is adapted to be brought into registration with an aperture T in the bracket member T fastened to the bottom of the box and said registermg apertures are designed to receive the lower contracted end of the set pin to hold the rod in a locked position.

A spring catch S is mounted upon the retaining pin P and has a laterally extendng headed push pin S, said catch S servlng to hold the pin P suspended and released from engagement with the rod T when it is desired to adjust the apparatus so that the box may be moved to its place of delivery. Projecting from the post is a bailshaped rod X against which the door is adapted to contact as it is swung down and over the edge of which the hooked end L engages, thus serving as a means for preventing the box being pulled away from the post when the door is opened.

In operation, when the door is thrown to the position shown in section in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the chain Q will draw the retaining pin to its highest position which will release the bar T. The pin P is held in its upper position by means of the spring S which engages the upper of the two straps P. When the box is thus released, the latter may be transported to its point of delivery by a person pulling upon the cord I-I. When the contents of the box have been removed, the door may be closed and, by pulling upon the pin S, the spring S may be released from its retaining position, as shown in Fig. 2, and allowed to again engage the aperture T in the bar T after the latter is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, thus locking the door closed. When the operator again pulls upon the cord to return the box to its starting position and when the bar T comes in contact with the outer free inclined end of the latch R, the latter will tilt and allow the bar T to pass over the catch, after which the weight R will return the latter to its normal position with the notch of the latch in front of the bar T.

What I claim to be new is 1. A. mail box and conveyer apparatus comprising a cable and support therefor, an endless cord, a pulley over which the same passes, a carrier mounted upon said cable, a mail box supported by the carrier, a door hinged to the mail box, a lug upon the door, a projection upon the cable support adapted to be engaged by said hook to lock the box from movement when the door is opened.

2. A mail box and conveyer apparatus comprising a post, acable secured thereto, a pulley upon the post, an endless cord passing about the pulley, a carrier upon the cable, a mail box supported by the carrier, a door hinged to the box, a hook upon the door, a laterally projecting member upon the post adapted to be engaged by said hook when the door is in a horizontal position, a latch upon the box, a pin engaging the latch, and connections between the pin and door. i 8. A mail box and conveyor apparatus comprising-a post, a cable secured thereto, a pulley upon the post, an endless cord passing about the pulley, a carrier upon the cable, a mail box supported by the carrier, a door hinged to the box, a hook upon the door, a

laterally projecting member upon the post adapted to be engaged by said hook when the door 1s 111 a horlzontal posltlon, an aper- 7 tured bracket member upon the box, a bar pivoted to the box and having an aperturecl end adapted to be thrown into registration with an aperture in said bracket member,

a retaining pin mounted upon the box and adapted to engage registering apertures in said bar and bracket, and connections between the pin and door.

4. A mail box and conveyor apparatus comprising a post, a cable secured thereto, a pulley upon the post, an endless cord passing about the pulley, a carrier upon the cable, a mail box supported by the carrier, a door hinged to the box, a hook upon the door, a laterally projecting member upon the post adapted to be engaged by said hook when thedoor is in a horizontal position, an apertured bracket member upon the box, a bar pivoted to the box and having an apertured end adapted to be thrown into registration with an aperture in said bracket member, a retaining pin mounted upon the box and adapted to engage registering apertures in said bar and bracket, a spring fastened .to

said pin, a pin projecting from the spring, a

chain secured to the retaining pin, a pulley upon the box over which the chain passes, the latter being fastened to said door. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence 01"? two witnesses.

IRL V. STEVENSON Witnesses:

W. H. DUFF, RUTH M. BARNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (3. 

